Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro was lambasted online after he took time to autograph a missile over the weekend that is potentially bound for Russian assets in the Ukraine war.

Shapiro, considered the runner-up to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, posted a video of him signing the missile at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP), in President Biden’s hometown.

“We must all do our part in the fight for freedom – from the workers in Scranton who make Pennsylvania the arsenal of democracy to the brave Ukrainian soldiers protecting their country,” Shapiro captioned his video.

“We stand with Ukraine in their just defense of their homeland in the face of Russian aggression.”

However, response from the right was brisk – with conservative commentator David Harris Jr. saying the situation showed “Democrats are now the party of war, and they’re proud of it. Sad.”

“The U.S. should be negotiating peace not fueling war,” added Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

“I am 100% against this and so are most Americans,” she wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “The U.S. is funding the Ukraine Gov at $1 billion/month to keep it running and funding most of the war by providing weapons, ammo, and equipment.”

ECONOMY, BORDER, ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN’S HOMETOWN AFTER NATIVE SON’S FIRST TERM

Other critics contrasted the autograph with Shapiro’s criticisms of former President Trump.

“Zelenskyy just essentially endorsed Kamala in Pennsylvania while with Josh Shapiro autographing ammunition,” wrote Philadelphia commentator Joey Mannarino on X.

“He called Trump and Vance ‘radical’. He also said Trump has no idea how to end the war. How is this not some sort of violation from a man who we are funding?”

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. – locked in a tight re-election race with businessman David McCormick – was seen shaking hands with Zelenskyy as Shapiro wrote a message on the missile.

Other critics pointed out that chaos was erupting elsewhere in the commonwealth while Shapiro, Zelenskyy and Casey were touring the ordnance plant.

SCRANTON OPENS UP ABOUT ‘BIDENOMICS’

Philadelphia native Jack Posobiec, a right-wing commentator and senior editor at Human Events, shared video of that city enveloped in illegal “car meets” and the responding police activity.

At least three people were arrested and a police official told WCAU they have photos of numerous others who took over Center City, set off fireworks, did donuts with their cars, injured police officers and caused mayhem into the wee hours of the morning, disrupting neighbors.

Video posted to X also appeared to show an Apple Store in Center City being looted Monday night.

“This was going on in Philadelphia while Josh Shapiro was taking selfies with artillery shells and Zelensky,” Posobiec said on X.

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In an official statement, Shapiro said Pennsylvania is the “birthplace of American freedom” and Pennsylvanians therefore stand with Ukrainians in their fight against “naked aggression.”

He also noted Pennsylvania will sign an agreement with the Ukrainian state of Zaporizhizhia that will “foster collaboration for years to come.”

In regard to the agreement, Pennsylvania Secretary of Community & Economic Development Rick Siger told WHTM that the pact will “help support the future economic revitalization of Ukraine, while boosting our economy and creating jobs for Pennsylvanians.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Shapiro and Casey for further comment but did not receive a response at press time.

FIRST ON FOX – House Republicans from Minnesota joined the Republican National Committee (RNC) in demanding that Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz’s administration provide an update on voter roll cleanup efforts, after it was discovered that noncitizens and otherwise ineligible individuals were improperly registered to vote under the state’s automatic voter registration process.

Reps. Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber signed onto a follow-up letter RNC election integrity counsel Kevin J. Cline and Minnesota Republican Party Chairman David Hann sent this week. The letter, addressed to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson, acknowledged communication between their offices for over a month. 

The Republicans said they provided Simon and Jacobson’s offices “with the information necessary to remove known noncitizens from the Minnesota voter rolls over a month ago,” and “despite our continued efforts to receive updates on the actions your office is taking, it took over three (3) weeks to get any information, which came on the same day you released the information to the public.” 

“Commissioner Jacobson’s September 12 letter admits there were approximately 1,000 individuals who may have been improperly registered to vote under the automatic voter registration (‘AVR’) process,” Cline and Hann wrote. “This leads us, and others, to consider all means necessary to obtain transparency from your office. To this end, we are now joined by Congressman Tom Emmer, Congressman Brad Finstad, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach, and Congressman Pete Stauber, to demand you provide further answers on this disastrous failure.” 

RNC BLASTS WALZ ADMIN’S NONANSWER ON HOW NONCITIZENS MADE IT ONTO MINNESOTA VOTER ROLLS: ‘NO HYPOTHETICAL’

The letter demands the Walz administration provide “the exact number of individuals who were inactivated,” answer what “the different categories of information the individual records were missing” are, and “provide how many individuals were inactivated for each category of missing information.” It also asks Simon and Jacobson how many of the inactivated individuals have voted in a past election, how many of the inactivated individuals were sent ballots in past elections, and if those people will “be able to register and vote in the November election?” 

“Would eliminating any of the inactivated individuals’ votes have changed the outcome of any past elections?” the letter asks. It also asks both Walz administration officials when they plan to “complete your confirmation of each individual’s voter registration information?” 

“It is imperative that Minnesota voters trust in the State’s election system, which includes knowing the voter rolls only consist of legally registered voters,” Cline and Hann wrote. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of both Simon and Jacobson regarding the letter but did not immediately hear back. 

The RNC and Minnesota GOP first wrote to the Walz administration in August flagging how a noncitizen, legally living in the state and fearful of jeopardizing his status, came forward to report receiving a primary ballot without having registered to vote. In past letters, Cline and Hann have cited how Walz in March 2023 signed a bill into law allowing noncitizens to receive driver’s licenses, also known as “Driver License for All.” Less than two months after signing that bill into law, Walz signed the “Democracy for the People Act,” permitting automatic voter registration through the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS). 

MINNESOTA GOP DEMANDS PROBE AFTER NONCITIZEN CLAIMS RECEIVING PRIMARY BALLOT WITHOUT REGISTERING TO VOTE

The Republicans claim that Jacobson in particular has only described how the DVS division is supposed to function to ensure each applicant is a U.S. citizen – and has not explained how noncitizens “made it through that process and ultimately made it onto Minnesota’s voter rolls.” In early September, Cline and Hann wrote to Jacobson: “This is no hypothetical; lawfully present noncitizens were registered to vote through your department, and Minnesota voters deserve transparency from your department to understand how this failure occurred and how it is being addressed.” 

In a Sept. 12 news release, Simon’s office admitted that “DVS flagged a small number of applicant files as needing additional confirmation of voter registration information, including address, name, and citizenship.” The announcement focused on how 65,339 Minnesotans had registered to vote and 25,572 16- and 17-year-olds preregistered to vote but also explained “changes made to internal processes.” 

The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State said it was partnering with the DVS division “to ensure the process works as expected and that only eligible Minnesotans are being registered to vote.” 

“That partnership includes a manual, two-layer review by DVS of all applicant files it sends to the Office of Secretary of State to be registered or pre-registered to vote. During this review, DVS flagged a small number of applicant files as needing additional confirmation of voter registration information, including address, name, and citizenship,” the release says. 

“Out of an abundance of caution,” the release continues, “the Office of the Secretary of State has inactivated the voter registrations of any individuals whose registrations DVS flagged. These individuals may be still eligible to vote, but due to human error their documentation was misclassified or not properly saved to the DVS database. The impacted individuals will be notified that if eligible to do so they will need to register to vote online, with their local election office, or in-person at their polling place on Election Day.” 

Simon’s office said that in order to “add additional quality assurance to the process to catch and correct the instances of human error,” DVS is now using “two distinct staff areas to double check all documentation at DVS before applicant files are sent to be registered to vote.” His office also said that “DVS is making sure workers who classify documents are getting increased training, and that automatic voter registration has been paused in certain situations. 

House GOP leaders are poised to skirt Republican opposition to their federal funding plan as they race the clock against a partial government shutdown.

“We’ve got a lot of people that honestly think a government shutdown is a good idea, or at least don’t want to take responsibility for avoiding one,” House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Tuesday. “It’s not good for the American people, it doesn’t work politically…and you’re sent up here to be responsible.”

Normally, a bill would have to advance through the House Rules Committee and then receive a House-wide procedural vote, known as a “rule vote,” before lawmakers decide on the measure itself.

However, rule votes traditionally fall along party lines, regardless of who supports the bill itself.

JOHNSON’S PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS REPUBLICANS REBEL

Rep. Ralph Norman, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus who sits on the Rules Committee, told Fox News Digital on Monday night that he would support the rule advancing through the panel but would reject it on the House floor.

With opposition bubbling up and just a three-seat majority, House GOP leaders likely do not have the votes to pass the rule.

Instead, multiple people told Fox News Digital they expect Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to put the measure up for a vote under suspension of the rules – meaning it forgoes the House-wide rule vote in exchange for raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority to two-thirds of the chamber.

The bill is a short-term extension of this year’s government funding, known as a continuing resolution (CR), through Dec. 20. The goal is to give Congress more time to negotiate spending priorities for fiscal year 2025, which begins Oct. 1.

A significant number of Republicans are opposed to a CR on principle, arguing it is an unnecessary extension of government bloat. 

SHUTDOWN FEARS MOVE HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO PROTECT MILITARY PAYCHECKS

However, a government shutdown just weeks before Election Day could come at a heavy political cost for Republicans – something Johnson pointed out to GOP lawmakers at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday morning, three people told Fox News Digital.

Johnson also promised lawmakers they would not be forced to vote on an end-of-year “omnibus” spending bill, which wraps all 12 annual appropriations bills into a massive vehicle – something nearly all Republicans oppose.

Johnson was always expected to need Democratic votes to pass his December CR. Dozens of Republicans have voted against such measures in the past. 

Putting the bill up under suspension of the rules, however, appears to be an indirect acknowledgment that Democrats will need to carry much of the weight for it to pass.

“Having to rely on liberal Democrats to pass anything is very disappointing,” Norman said after Tuesday morning’s meeting.

MCCARTHY’S ‘FINAL STRUGGLES’ THREATEN TO HAUNT JOHNSON’S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FIGHT

Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, “A CR, an appropriations bill, under suspension? That’s not the way to run a railroad.”

Both said they expected Congress to be forced into an omnibus bill, jammed up against the holiday recess.

Johnson did get some backup from House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., however.

“I take the speaker at his word that he will not do that,” Harris said when asked about an end-of-year omnibus.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters that the CR would get a vote on Wednesday, suggesting suspension of the rules was their likely option.

Last week, a more conservative CR – one that would’ve kicked the funding fight into March and attached a measure cracking down on noncitizens voting in U.S. elections – was defeated by 14 Republicans and all but three Democrats.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., one of the 14 rebels who voted against that plan, gave Johnson grace for the position he was in.

“Speaker Johnson’s on the spot,” Burchett told reporters. “He has to do what he has to do.”

Vice President Kamala Harris said she backs eliminating the 60-vote filibuster requirement in order to reinstate Roe v. Wade, which would federalize abortion access nationwide, during a Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) interview Tuesday. 

The filibuster is a Senate rule that allows a minority to block legislation pending a supermajority vote, so ending it would make it easier to pass laws related to abortion rights.

“I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe,” Harris said on the “Wisconsin Today” show. “And get us to the point where 51 votes would be what we need to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom and for the ability of every person and every woman to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do.”

YOUNG SWING STATE VOTERS DELIVER ADVICE FOR KAMALA HARRIS: ‘THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE TRANSPARENCY’

The vice president’s remarks were made during her fourth campaign visit to the battleground state and drew attention from West Virginia independent Sen. Joe Manchin, a strong supporter of the filibuster. Although the former Democrat had indicated earlier this month that he would endorse Harris, he reversed his position due to her comments on Tuesday.

“Shame on her,” Manchin said at the Capitol, CNN reported. “She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. It’s the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House on steroids.”

“That ain’t going to happen,” Manchin said, regarding backing the VP for president in November.

Harris also said in the WPR interview that, “It is well within our reach” to keep a Democratic Senate majority and “take back the House.”

“I would also emphasize that while the presidential election is extremely important and dispositive of where we go moving forward, it also is about what we need to do to hold onto the Senate and win seats in the House,” Harris said.

NEW POLL INDICATES WHETHER HARRIS OR TRUMP HAS THE EDGE IN THIS KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE

While Harris first said she would support ending the filibuster to reinstate Roe v. Wade era abortion protection in 2022, she has since made abortion a major issue in her Democratic bid for presidency this election cycle. She also supported ending the filibuster to pass the progressive Green New Deal climate legislation in 2019. 

“With just two more seats in the Senate, we can codify Roe v. Wade, we can put the protections of Roe in law,” Harris said in September 2022. “With two more seats in the United States Senate, we can pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Two more seats.”

“You know, our President, Joe Biden, he’s been clear. He’s kinda done with those archaic Senate rules that are standing in the way of those two issues,” Harris said of the Senate filibuster in 2022. “He’s made that clear and has said that he will not allow that to obstruct those two issues. And, you know, for me, as vice president, I’m also president of the Senate.… I cannot wait to cast the deciding vote to break the filibuster on voting rights and reproductive rights. I cannot wait! Fifty-nine days.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate President Pro tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., and others revealed on Tuesday their plans to force votes on abortion-related bills in the wake of two pregnant women’s deaths after taking abortion pills.

In floor remarks, Schumer said, “What happened in Georgia is a direct example of how abortion bans continue to exacerbate the racial disparities in maternal death. Amber’s doctors didn’t perform the medical procedures they knew she needed because of Georgia’s law.”

“It was the law overruling their good medical judgment. She went into septic shock and her heart stopped – all while doctors did everything except the medically-sound treatment she needed,” he said, in reference to ProPublica‘s reporting on the deaths of Candi Miller and Amber Nicole Thurman. 

JOHN CORNYN FLEXES FUNDRAISING CHOPS AS BATTLE TO SUCCEED MITCH MCCONNELL RAMPS UP

Both of the women died in Georgia after taking abortion pills and suffering complications. In Thurman’s case, according to ProPublica, doctors waited a prolonged period of time before performing the necessary dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, which is not an abortion. Miller was found unresponsive by her family after suffering from the pill’s complication. 

“Today, as you heard from the leader, we’re going to try and pass this resolution, and we’re going to see if the Senate can come together with one voice and tell women, ‘women, we want to put your health first,'” Murray said at a press conference. 

The Washington Democrat will attempt on Tuesday afternoon to advance her resolution to affirm “the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care” for a vote by unanimous consent. However, this is expected to be objected to by a Republican. 

ACCUSATIONS OF IMPROPER TAX BREAKS FLY IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE: ‘RULES DON’T APPLY’

The Democrats’ plan to seek forced votes on abortion items comes in response to the deaths of Miller and Thurman, which have caused a dispute over what is to blame. 

“Amber Thurman and Candi Miller are two Black mothers who lost their lives in Georgia due to the state’s Draconian abortion ban. Women who could have survived if they had been able to get the health care they needed. These are the consequences of Trump abortion bans,” Murray claimed earlier this month. 

Roe v. Wade was overturned in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in 2022, which turned the authority to determine limitations on abortion back to the states. Former President Trump’s appointment of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett is largely credited for giving conservative justices the majority and pushing the decision over the edge. 

ENIGMATIC VOTER GROUP COULD SPLIT TICKET FOR TRUMP, DEM SENATE CANDIDATE IN ARIZONA

Other Democrats have echoed Murray’s sentiment, including Vice President Kamala Harris, blaming the overturn of Roe v. Wade for the women’s deaths. 

Some conservative leaders and groups have pushed back on Democrats’ characterization of the women’s deaths, including top pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. 

SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement, “Pro-life laws are clear, yet politicians and the media are sowing confusion at women’s expense. Across the nation, pro-life laws allow doctors to provide emergency care, and doctors who fail to provide necessary medical care should be held accountable.”

“Pro-abortion Democrats and the abortion industry fearmonger and exploit tragedies resulting from abortions themselves, like the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller – leaving women confused about the law and scared to get care in emergency situations. These lies have real consequences, and we urge pro-abortion Democrats to value women’s safety over limitless abortion,” she said. 

‘PRETTY DAMN SIGNIFICANT’: SLOTKIN SUFFERS BLOW IN MICHIGAN AS FARM BUREAU JILTS DEMS TO ENDORSE GOP CANDIDATE

During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on “Threats to Reproductive Health Care,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., questioned Dr. Christina Francis, an obstetrician and gynecologist, and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, on the safety of the abortion pill. 

“Obviously, we have recent cases of Candi Miller dying from a chemical abortion. FDA has changed the rules of late, to be able to say, ‘don’t give us information about consequences. Don’t even report that. Don’t turn it in.’ You don’t have to get to a doctor to be able to get access to a chemical abortions. There’s been lots of conversations I’ve heard from my Democratic colleagues saying chemical abortions are as safe as Tylenol. Can you tell me a little bit more about chemical abortions?” he asked. 

“Incomplete abortion, where all of the tissue, from all of the fetal tissue and placental tissue don’t pass after taking these drugs, occurs in 5 to 10 percent of women. That may sound like a small number, but when you look at the number of chemical abortions that are done in this country every year, that’s a significant number of women that are experiencing this complication,” Francis responded. 

She further warned that abortion pills are not on par with Tylenol, remarking, “These are not safe drugs, and women deserve to have accurate information about that.”

NEW YORK CITY — President Biden, in his final address to the United Nation’s General Assembly, warned that the world is at an “inflection point,” while defending his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and his move to suspend his re-election campaign.

Biden delivered his fourth and final speech to the assembly as President of the United States on Tuesday, addressing leaders and representatives from 134 countries around the globe. 

“Today is the fourth time I’ve had the great honor of speaking to this assembly as President of the United States,” Biden said Tuesday morning. “It’ll be my last.” 

Biden reflected on the global order when he was first elected as a U.S. senator in 1972, saying the world was at “an inflection point” and a “moment of tension and uncertainty.” 

BIDEN ADDRESSES UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR LAST TIME AS DICTATORS, DESPOTS COME TO NEW YORK

“The world was divided by the Cold War; the Middle East was headed toward war; America was at war in Vietnam at that point — the longest war in America’s history,” Biden said. “Our country was divided and angry, and there were questions about our staying power and our future. But even then, I entered public life not out of despair, but out of optimism.” 

Biden said when he was elected president, the world was in “another moment of crisis and uncertainty,” referring to the ongoing U.S. presence in Afghanistan. 

“We were attacked on 9/11 by Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. We brought him justice. Then I came to the presidency in another moment of crisis and uncertainty,” Biden said. “I believed America had to look forward — new challenges, new threats, new opportunities were in front of us.” 

Biden said he needed to put the United States “in a position to see the threats, to deal with the challenges, and to seize the opportunities as well.” 

“We needed to end the war that began on 9/11,” Biden said. “I came to office as president, with Afghanistan to replace Vietnam as America’s longest war.” 

“I was determined to end it,” he said. “And I did.” 

Biden said it was a “hard decision but the right decision.” 

“Four American presidents had faced that decision, but I was determined not to leave it to a fifth,” Biden said, while acknowledging the decision was “accompanied by tragedy,” as 13 U.S. service members lost their lives, along with hundreds of Afghan civilians in a suicide bombing outside of Kabul Airport during the withdrawal. 

But under the Biden-Harris administration, officials have sought diplomacy amid global instability and fears of a growing war in the Middle East, especially following its botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, the years-long Russia-Ukraine war, the growing threat from Iran’s nuclear development, increased aggression from China, and a crisis at the U.S. southern border. 

“I truly believe we’re at another inflection point in world history, where the choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come,” Biden said Tuesday. “We stand behind the principles that unite us; we stand firm against aggression; we end the conflicts that are raging today. We take on global challenges like climate change, hunger and disease.” 

Also under his administration, in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. 

“The good news is Putin’s war has failed,” Biden said, while adding though, that the world “cannot grow weary” and “cannot look away” or “let up on our support for Ukraine.” 

As for increasing aggression in China, Biden said there is a need to continue to “responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not veer into conflict.” 

Biden stressed that he is working to “bring a greater measure of peace and stability to the Middle East.” 

“The world must not flinch from the horrors of October 7th – any country would have the right responsibility to ensure that such attack can never happen again,” Biden said, referring to Hamas’ brutal terror attack in Israel. “Thousands of armed Hamas terrorists invaded a sovereign state, slaughtering and massacring more than 1200 people, including 46 Americans in their homes and at a music festival, the despicable acts of sexual violence, 250 innocents taken hostage.” 

Biden said he has met with the families of those hostages. 

“I grieve with them,” he said. “They’re going through hell.” 

UN CHIEF DEFENDS UNRWA, SAYS ONLY ‘A FEW ELEMENTS’ PARTICIPATED IN OCT 7

But Biden said, “Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell.” 

Biden pointed to the ceasefire and hostage deal his administration has worked on with Qatar and Egypt. 

“Now it is time for the parties to finalize terms, bring the hostages home, secure Israel and Gaza free of Hamas’ grip, ease the suffering in Gaza and end this war,” he said. 

Biden stressed that his administration has been “determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region.” 

“A full scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” he said. “Even as the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible.” 

“In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security,” Biden continued, so that “the residents from both countries return to their homes.” 

“That’s what we’re working tirelessly to achieve,” Biden said. 

But as for the war in Gaza, Biden, notably, did not mention rising antisemitism in the United States and around the globe since the Oct. 7 attacks, but instead, discussed the “rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank.” 

Biden said the world needs to work towards “a two-state solution where the world—where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalize relations with all its neighbors; and with Palestinians, living securely with dignity and self-determination in a state of their own.” 

Meanwhile, Biden declared the need to continue to ensure Iran will “never obtain a nuclear weapon.” 

As he closed his, likely, final address to the world, Biden said he and world leaders “must never forget who we’re here to represent–We the people.” 

UN’S ‘PACT FOR THE FUTURE’ FULL OF EMPTY PROMISES, WILL BE ‘CUDGEL’ TO ATTACK THE UNITED STATES, EXPERT WARNS

“These are the first words of our Constitution. The very idea of America. They inspired the opening words of the UN charter. I made the preservation of democracy the central cause of my presidency,” Biden said. 

Biden explained his decision to suspend his 2024 re-election campaign, calling it a “difficult decision.” 

“Being president has been the honor of my life. There is so much more I want to get done,” Biden said, but urged world leaders not to forget that “some things are more important than staying in power.” 

“It’s your people. It is your people that matter most,” Biden said. “We are here to serve the people, not the other way around, because the future will be won by those who unleash the full potential of their people to breathe free, to think freely, to innovate, to educate, to live in love openly without fear.” 

He added: “That’s the soul of democracy. It does not belong to any one country. I’ve seen it all around the world.” 

Biden stressed the “remarkable the power of ‘We the people.’” 

“It makes me more optimistic about the future than I’ve ever been since I was first elected to the United States Senate in 1972. Every age faces challenges,” Biden said. “I saw it as a young man. I see it today. But we are stronger than we think. We’re stronger together than alone.” 

He added: “My fellow leaders, there’s nothing that’s beyond our capacity. If we work together, let’s work together.” 

FIRST ON FOX: A group of attorneys general across the country are demanding that the nation’s leading pediatric organization rescind its support for transgender procedures – such as puberty blockers and surgeries – on children. 

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador sent a letter Tuesday to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) accusing the organization of abandoning “its commitment to sound medical judgment.” 

“That halt on what is fairly described as medical experimentation on children is long overdue – particularly since the majority of children initially diagnosed with gender dysphoria desist and ‘grow out’ of the condition by the time they are adolescents or adults,” the letter reads. “It is abusive to treat a child with biologically altering drugs that have an unknown physiological trajectory and end point. It is also inhumane to endorse such experimentation without a confident safety profile, especially if more times than not, it proves to be medically unnecessary.”

BIDEN SLAMMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER ANNOUNCING TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY ON EASTER SUNDAY

“And yet, the AAP continues to authoritatively declare that puberty blockers are ‘reversible,’” the letter continued. “That claim is scientifically unsupported and contradicts what is medically known. And because that claim raises questions under most state consumer protection laws, it has the undersigned alarmed.”

Last year, the AAP recommitted its pledge to support “gender-affirming care” and expanded its guidelines for pediatricians to “ensure young people get the reproductive and gender-affirming care they need and are seen, heard and valued as they are,” AAP CEO Mark Del Monte said at the time.

AAP has published several reports on reaffirming transgender youth in their preferred gender identities. In January, the AAP published a report titled, “Prohibition of Gender-Affirming Care as a Form of Child Maltreatment: Reframing the Discussion,” which claimed many bills aimed at restricting transgender treatments for children lead to poor mental health. 

BIDEN OFFICIALS PUSHED TO DROP AGE LIMIT ON TRANS SURGERIES FOR MINORS: REPORT

“Ultimately, the AAP’s statements and guidance affect how physicians practice medicine and treat children. Because providers rely on the AAP when they make treatment decisions, parents and their children are harmed by the AAP’s misleading and deceptive claim,” the letter read. “When pediatricians are told by the AAP that treating children with puberty blockers is ‘reversible,’ that claim becomes part of the medical discussion and decision-making with parents and children.”

Attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah signed the letter, as well as the president of the Arizona Senate and the speaker of the Arizona state House of Representatives. 

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

“Children with gender dysphoria need and deserve love, support, and medical care rooted in biological reality,” Labrador told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Parents should be able to trust that a doctor’s medical guidance isn’t just the latest talking point from a dangerous and discredited activist agenda.”

The letter comes as transgender surgeries for kids has become a cultural issue in the 2024 election. And according to unsealed documents published over the summer, health officials in the Biden administration successfully pressured the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to omit the age limit in its guidelines for transgender surgical procedures for adolescents. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to AAP for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, detailed his fundraising achievements in a new letter to donors, reiterating his hope to succeed top fundraiser Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the new Congress.

“I am proud to announce together we have achieved an extraordinary milestone: you have helped me raise over $400 million hard dollars since 2002 to help advance conservative principles and policies in the U.S. Senate — $406,874,101, to be exact,” the Texas Republican told thousands of donors on Tuesday in the letter, which was obtained by Fox News Digital. 

ACCUSATIONS OF IMPROPER TAX BREAKS FLY IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE: ‘RULES DON’T APPLY’

According to Cornyn, he has raised $26 million in the current election cycle, $11.8 million of which was for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). He noted the particular importance of money for the several competitive Senate races across the country as Republicans are hoping to take back the upper chamber’s Majority. 

Specifically, the senator said he has raised $500,000 for each of the 33 senators and candidates in elections, as well as more than $1 million each for four senators.

ENIGMATIC VOTER GROUP COULD SPLIT TICKET FOR TRUMP, DEM SENATE CANDIDATE IN ARIZONA

Cornyn is one of three announced candidates vying to replace McConnell in the upper chamber’s leader election come November. Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., have also launched bids for the role. 

Only two senators have publicly revealed who they are backing: Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who both came out in support of Thune earlier this year. 

Others, however, have been tight-lipped, claiming outwardly that they are waiting to hear from all the candidates or that they are focused on other things as Congress navigates another short-term spending bill and the presidential election nears. 

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Much of the race has thus far taken place behind closed doors, with Cornyn often noting that he does not discuss leadership elections publicly, and senators throughout the conference confirming they have met with each of the candidates. 

The only public-facing component of the race so far has been fundraising prowess, as both Thune and Cornyn bring in large sums for Republicans in competitive Senate races and attend donor events with former President Donald Trump’s campaign. 

Currently up for re-election in Florida, much of Scott’s time outside the Senate has been spent campaigning in his own race, giving him fewer opportunities to help other candidates across the country. 

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While it is not the only consideration for leader, fundraising has presented itself as a factor and been mentioned during recent closed-door conference meetings in the context of the race, given McConnell’s longstanding reputation as a fundraising machine.  

“In addition to the ‘day job’ of managing the legislative business of the Senate, the role of Leader now requires intensive engagement with donors,” a source familiar with McConnell’s fundraising operation told Fox News Digital. “The next Leader will play a key role in ensuring their continued support.” 

The election is expected to take place among senators and potentially newly elected conference members in mid-November. 

In current forecasts, Republicans are expected to take the Senate majority in the November general election, likely picking up seats in West Virginia and Montana to put them over the edge, while also holding onto GOP seats that are up for re-election. This would put the next leader in charge of the upper chamber and what comes to the floor for a vote. 

Vote-by-mail data in three key states shows the edge Democrats enjoyed in 2020 has plummeted, something one expert said is a great sign for Republicans and former President Donald Trump.

“It’s great news that Republicans are starting to early vote,” Jimmy Keady, the founder and president of JLK Political Strategies, a Republican consulting firm, told Fox News Digital. 

The comments come as the Democratic edge in vote-by-mail requests has shrunk significantly in Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, according to data by Decision Desk HQ, signaling a shift in voter habits that have defined the last two elections.

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According to the data, the Democratic lead in vote-by-mail requests has shrunk by over 5% in Florida, nearly 15% in North Carolina and over 35% in Pennsylvania.

Getting voters out to early in-person voting or to vote by mail can free up resources for campaigns, Keady said, allowing them to focus their attention on lower propensity voters who often play a big role in deciding elections.

“I’m sure voters complain all the time about text messages, about getting mail, about getting robocalls to go vote,” Keady said. “Campaigns are now sophisticated enough that once you go vote, those stop… once a voter goes to vote, and those stop, that allows resource allocation from that voter to another voter.”

Getting those lower propensity voters out could play a huge role in states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina, which are both expected to once again be swing states with razor-tight margins.

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Vice President Kamala Harris holds a lead of less than a point in Pennsylvania, while Trump holds a similarly sized lead in North Carolina, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average, meaning the ground game to turn out voters on each side could be the deciding factor in the election.

The Democratic advantage in mail-in and early voting very well might have been the difference in the 2020 election, but Keady sees shifting momentum for the GOP on that front in 2024.

“It definitely signals that A, there’s turnout… but B, also that the base has adopted, kind of being able to accept that early voting is a proper and mostly secure way to vote,” Keady said.

That will help Republicans compete with Democrats in an area the party was at a decided disadvantage in 2020, Keady noted, something that could swing another close election in the GOP’s favor.

“As Republicans, we have to start getting the base to early vote, to do mail-in ballot, to do these things that we know are safe and secure, to get people out to the polls,” The Democrats have done this really well, for years.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

NEW YORK CITY — President Biden, in his final address to the United Nation’s General Assembly, warned that the world is at an “inflection point,” while maintaining U.S. support for Ukraine; Israel’s right to defend itself; and declaring Palestinians should be able to live “in a state of their own.” 

Biden delivered his fourth and final speech to the assembly as President of the United States on Tuesday, addressing leaders and representatives from 134 countries around the globe. 

“Today is the fourth time I’ve had the great honor of speaking to this assembly as President of the United States,” Biden said Tuesday morning. “It’ll be my last.” 

Biden reflected on the global order when he was first elected as a U.S. senator in 1972, saying the world was at “an inflection point” and a “moment of tension and uncertainty.” 

“The world was divided by the Cold War; the Middle East was headed toward war; America was at war in Vietnam at that point — the longest war in America’s history,” Biden said. “Our country was divided and angry, and there were questions about our staying power and our future. But even then, I entered public life not out of despair, but out of optimism.” 

Biden said when he was elected president, the world was in “another moment of crisis and uncertainty.” 

But under the Biden-Harris administration, officials have sought diplomacy amid global instability and fears of a growing war in the Middle East, especially following its botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, the years-long Russia-Ukraine war, the growing threat from Iran’s nuclear development, increased aggression from China, and a crisis at the U.S. southern border. 

“I truly believe we’re at another inflection point in world history, where the choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come,” Biden said Tuesday. “We stand behind the principles that unite us; we stand firm against aggression; we end the conflicts that are raging today. We take on global challenges like climate change, hunger and disease.” 

“Putin’s war has failed,” Biden said. 

Biden stressed that the world “cannot grow weary” and “cannot look away” or “let up on our support for Ukraine.” 

“We need to uphold our principles as we seek to responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not veer into conflict,” he said.

Biden stressed that he is working to “bring greater measure of peace and stability to the Middle East.” 

“The world must not flinch from the horrors of October 7th – any country would have the right responsibility to ensure that such attack can never happen again,” Biden said, referring to Hamas’ brutal terror attack in Israel. “Thousands of armed Hamas terrorists invaded a sovereign state, slaughtering and massacring more than 1200 people, including 46 Americans in their homes and at a music festival, the despicable acts of sexual violence, 250 innocents taken hostage.” 

Biden said he has met with the families of those hostages. 

“I grieve with them,” he said. “They’re going through hell.” 

But Biden said, “Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell.” 

Biden pointed to the ceasefire and hostage deal his administration has worked on with Qatar and Egypt. 

“Now it is time for the parties to finalize terms, bring the hostages home, secure Israel and Gaza free of Hamas’ grip, ease the suffering in Gaza and end this war,” he said. 

Biden stressed that his administration has been “determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region.” 

“A full scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” he said. “Even as the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible.” 

“In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security,” Biden continued, so that “the residents from both countries return to their homes.” 

“That’s what we’re working tirelessly to achieve,” Biden said. 

But as for the war in Gaza, Biden, notably, did not mention rising antisemitism in the United States and around the globe since the Oct. 7 attacks, but instead, discussed the “rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank.” 

Biden said the world needs to work towards “a two-state solution where the world—where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalize relations with all its neighbors; and with Palestinians, living securely with dignity and self-determiniation in a state of their own.” 

Meanwhile, Biden declared the need to continue to ensure Iran will “never obtain a nuclear weapon.” 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.